Over the course of the last decade, states have begun implementing strict voter identification requirements, starting with Arkansas's strict non-photo ID requirement in 2004. In 2005, Indiana became the first state to require voters provide a government-issued photo ID as a condition to voting. The law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2008, despite there being “no … [Read more...] about Voter fraud: the GOP’s mythical boogieman
Put North Korea on trial for crimes against humanity says UN inquiry
The UN Security Council should sue North Korea in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for ongoing crimes against humanity, the UN’s top investigator said. [icopyright one button toolbar] He urged firm action against the regime’s long list of human rights violations against almost all the country’s 24 million people, including arbitrary detention, torture, executions and … [Read more...] about Put North Korea on trial for crimes against humanity says UN inquiry
Be careful what you wish for, Republicans!
[icopyright one button toolbar] Be careful what you wish for, Republicans! A slim majority in the Senate may turn out to be just the punishment the left would love Republicans to suffer. Paul Waldman writes: There will be tremendous built-up pressure from conservatives that Sen. Mitch McConnell (assuming he wins his own race and becomes majority leader) will have … [Read more...] about Be careful what you wish for, Republicans!
Juan Williams Debunks GOP Attempts To Blame Democrats For Lack Of A Surgeon General
[icopyright one button toolbar] While discussing the Republican hypocrisy in their response to an Ebola Czar earlier this month, I pointed out how the Republicans blocked Barack Obama’s nominee for Surgeon General due to his concerns about gun violence, which kills far, far more people than Ebola in this country. Republicans who 1) are rarely willing to take responsibility … [Read more...] about Juan Williams Debunks GOP Attempts To Blame Democrats For Lack Of A Surgeon General
Is Ebola the New Jaws?
[icopyright one button toolbar] In 1975, Steven Spielberg directed a movie derived from a Peter Benchley novel called “Jaws.It was the story of a gigantic white shark terrorizing a resort town, killing a number of swimmers and the shark hunters who went after it. This realistic film was a major hit, the highest grossing film up until that time, frightening and intimidating … [Read more...] about Is Ebola the New Jaws?
Chris Christie and Ebola in a nutshell
This will be my shortest post on TMV in many years. I really can't put it better than THIS. And for more details THIS. Self-destruction by mouth and impulsive action. Turning off two separate sides of voters. You can't just blame "Bridgegate" now: the dude is an impulsive political klutz, which has nothing to do with ideology. As sure-footed as a drunk octopus. graphic … [Read more...] about Chris Christie and Ebola in a nutshell
Hillary Clinton’s major error on jobs: silly mistake, her real view or feeling the (Warren) heat?
[icopyright one button toolbar] The sound of the spin machines are so loud I can hear them here in my hotel room in Toronto. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a political error -- a big one. And like the toothpaste that can't be put in to the tube, she gave her Republican and Democratic foes a line they can run in ads and repeat, no matter how many times she … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton’s major error on jobs: silly mistake, her real view or feeling the (Warren) heat?
It’s time to play…”Headis” aka Head Tennis: (Video)
As the old saying goes, "use your head" -- especially when playing "headis" -- a combination of soccer and tennis. The German town of Unna hosted a tournament on Saturday. (P.S.: DO try this at home...)[icopyright one button toolbar] MLSsoccer.com offers this explanation: What kind of game would you come up with if you combined table tennis, ping pong and header … [Read more...] about It’s time to play…”Headis” aka Head Tennis: (Video)
In Kansas, it’s Sen. Pat Roberts’ race to lose and he might
TOPEKA, Kan. — For more than three decades, Pat Roberts had an easy time winning elections to Congress from Kansas, always winning in landslides. Now the Republican senator is in very real danger of losing and he may have only himself to blame. First, after years avoiding potentially damaging fights within the Kansas GOP, he also… … [Read more...] about In Kansas, it’s Sen. Pat Roberts’ race to lose and he might
Cartoon: Lone wolf, eh?
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Lone wolf, eh?
The Whole Story
WASHINGTON -- It was the fall of 1979. The Washington Post, which I considered the greatest newspaper in the world, was considering me for a job covering the District of Columbia's new mayor, an interesting character named Marion Barry. I knew that a couple of Post editors were going to take me to lunch. What I didn't know was that the great Ben Bradlee was coming along. … [Read more...] about The Whole Story
Who’s the least worst for governor? (Guest Voice)
Rick Scott. Charlie Crist. Nineteen million souls in the state of Florida, and this is the best we can do? You could toss a mullet net over any park bench between Key West and Pensacola and drag in two people who'd be more inspiring. Watching Scott's cringe-worthy performance in the TV debates made it all the… … [Read more...] about Who’s the least worst for governor? (Guest Voice)
Toronto moves on from Fords: John Tory elected Mayor, Rob Ford’s brother loses and Ford gets old seat
[icopyright one button toolbar] TORONTO, Canada -- Toronto has now officially moved on from Fords. The city's controversial but in many quarters beloved Mayor Rob Ford -- the answer to American comedians', satirists and comedy writers prayers -- dropped out of the race due to a bout with cancer and his brother Doug ran instead. The voters instead elected John Tory as the … [Read more...] about Toronto moves on from Fords: John Tory elected Mayor, Rob Ford’s brother loses and Ford gets old seat
ISIS death threats and child beheadings force ‘Vicar of Baghdad’ forced to flee Iraq
The "Vicar of Baghdad" has quit Iraq after death threats and the beheading of children attached to his church by Islamic terrorists. Canon Andrew White, vicar of Baghdad's St. Georges, Iraq's only Anglican church, said the only answer to the terrorism and killing by the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) was American "boots on… … [Read more...] about ISIS death threats and child beheadings force ‘Vicar of Baghdad’ forced to flee Iraq
Decriminalize Poverty; End the War on Drugs
Decriminalize Poverty; End the War on Drugs By Tina Dupuy Conspiracy theories are easy to make up. They all follow the same formula: An omnipotent force wills it, everybody is in on it, it takes place perfectly and no one else will tell you this. Throw in some cherry-picked numerical clues based on arbitrary weights and measurements, and there it is: fodder for the … [Read more...] about Decriminalize Poverty; End the War on Drugs
Obama’s Temperament
Matthew Yglesias commends President Obama's cool temperament on Vox.com. [icopyright one button toolbar] Journalists have systematic professional incentives to overreact. You don't get ahead by writing boring stories, so you develop a nose for the provocative and start dealing in superlatives. Yet few people can make it through life acting purely out of cynicism. It helps … [Read more...] about Obama’s Temperament
Liberal or Conservative? How Your Brain Reacts to Disgusting Images Reveals Your Political Affiliation
Conservatives and liberals really are wired differently. Scientists can accurately predict whether a subject is left-wing tree-hugger or a right-wing gun-toter based on how their brains respond to certain images, a new study in Current Biology has found. P. Read Montague, a scientist at Virginia Tech, said his experiment was inspired by data that shows political… … [Read more...] about Liberal or Conservative? How Your Brain Reacts to Disgusting Images Reveals Your Political Affiliation
The secrets behind 2014
WASHINGTON -- There's a hidden history to the nasty midterm election campaign that will, mercifully, end on Nov. 4. What's not being widely talked about is as important as what's in the news. Underappreciated fact No. 1: The number of Democratic seats that are (BEG ITAL)not(END ITAL) in play this year. In planning its effort to take control of the Senate, … [Read more...] about The secrets behind 2014
Don’t Let Them Silence You: Vote, Dammit. (Guest Voice)
Don’t Let Them Silence You: Vote, Dammit. by Bill Moyers and Michael Winship Our country’s oldest and longest struggle has been to enlarge democracy by making it possible for more and more people to be treated equally at the polls. The right to participate in choosing our representatives – to vote — is the very right that inflamed the American colonies and marched us … [Read more...] about Don’t Let Them Silence You: Vote, Dammit. (Guest Voice)
SciFi Weekend: Doctor Who; Lex Luthor; Agent Carter; Constantine; Aaron Paul on Breaking Bad Toys; The Fall; Revolution; Person of Interest; Arrow; The Flash
[icopyright one button toolbar] With In The Forest of the Night, I feel that Doctor Who has gone overboard with preposterous solutions to problems this season. We had the golden arrow in Robot of Sherwood and then the mass of the moon growing because the moon is an egg in Kill The Moon. At least Robot of Sherwood was more a comedy, so I didn't mind the ending as much. … [Read more...] about SciFi Weekend: Doctor Who; Lex Luthor; Agent Carter; Constantine; Aaron Paul on Breaking Bad Toys; The Fall; Revolution; Person of Interest; Arrow; The Flash